Patrick Dempsey Inappropriate Behavior: Alleged Patrick Dempsey Affair Led To ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Firing & Divorce

Patrick Dempsey’s inappropriate behavior with a female Grey’s Anatomy staff member led to his firing and the divorce from wife, Jillian Fink, allegedly, of course. According to rumors, both Ellen Pompeo and Shonda Rhimes were angered by Patrick Dempsey’s actions, and they had him booted off the series.

Patrick Dempsey

An alleged Patrick Dempsey inappropriate connection with an unnamed female staff member at ABC led to his divorce and his firing from Grey’s Anatomy, according to Examiner.

A source spoke to Radar Online saying that Patrick Dempsey, aka Dr. Derek Shepherd, was axed from the show after he was caught with a young woman who worked on the set.

Ellen Pompeo, who is very close to Patrick Dempsey’s wife, Jillian Fink, told her about the supposed affair.

Dempsey immediately filed for divorce after 15 years of marriage. The former couple has three children together – daughter, Talula, 13, and twin sons, Darby and Sullivan, eight.

The spy told In Touch:

“Patrick had an inappropriate relationship with a young woman who worked on the set.[Costar] Ellen Pompeo found out and was angry because she’s close friends with Jillian, so of course, she told her.”

The series’ creator, Shonda Rhimes, who dreads real-life scandals, quickly decided to fire Patrick Dempsey. The source added:

“[She] has no patience for that kind of behavior.”

While Patrick Dempsey has not personally commented on the story, his rep did say that the story was absurd. Dempsey did cry when he was talking about what it was like working with Pompeo. He said:

“It was magic, It’s beautiful. We’re like a married couple. It’s 10 years, and it was magic from the beginning. Chemistry right away.”

Shonda Rhimes issued a very politically correct statement on Patrick Dempsey’s departure that read:

“Derek Shepherd is and will always be an incredibly important character—for Meredith, for me and for the fans. I absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our ‘McDreamy.’ Patrick Dempsey’s performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example—happy, sad, romantic, painful and always true—of what young women should demand from modern love. His loss will be felt by all.”

It went on to say:

“Now, Meredith and the entire Grey’s Anatomy family are about to enter uncharted territory as we head into this new chapter of her life. The possibilities for what may come are endless. As Ellis Grey would say: the carousel never stops turning.”

Ellen Pompeo surprised many by posting a lengthy tweet where she said absolutely nothing about her former co-star and good friend. She wrote:

What do you think of those Patrick Dempsey inappropriate behavior allegations?

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94 Comments

  1. it was none of Ellen and Shondra’s business, why they go rat him out to his wife. Call him on the side and ask him to stop. people and their big mouths, always bla bla balying. Hope these two have PIs following their men to know if they are not banging co workers too.

    1. You are 100% right. Righteous Ellen Pompeo should have minded her own business. She had no right to say anything to the wife. Now, the minor children are without their father in the household, and the father is without an income to support them. If Ellen’s husband is cheating on her, I hope someone tells her too!

      1. Oh poor Honey Boo, wouldn’t you like to know if your man was having funny time with another woman.
        Women need to know that this not the Mad Men era, they cen get a job, raise their kids on their own.
        Why stay with someone who might bring back as STD as Valentine’s Day gift.

        1. I agree Tammy. Why protect disrespectful and dishonest behavior, for anyone. Just because he is a handsome celebrity, should everyone not think about his loyal and loving family but help him hurt them instead? Live your life with decency, always.

          1. everyone is forgetting the most important word in the story “ALLEDGED” no one really knows what happened at this time

      2. WTF? You wouldn’t want to know if your husband was hooking up with someone else? She did the right thing.

      3. Hey there clueless. With a net worth of over 40 million dollars, I doubt there is any immediate danger of Patrick Dempsey having no income to support his kids. Get real

      4. Are you serious, HoneyHoney66? Ellen is to blame for the divorce? The reason that the family is split up because he cheated. He did this, not Ellen! And yes, if her husband is cheating, I sincerely hope that one of her good friends tells her too. Geez!

      1. They should have minded their own business. If it was my husband, I would rather find out on my own. Who knows what his wife had been doing as well.
        This situation is an example of an employer and employee going too far into something that had nothing to do with either of them and was not job related. I would sue Shondra and Ellen if it was at all possible.

    2. I also agree that Ellen and Shondra should have stayed out of Patrick’s personal business.
      They needed to mind their own business. Those two women are the DIVA’S that made the decision to ruin his life in relation to family and work. They are pathetic. I don’t condone what Patrick did, however, it was none of their business to cause all of this damage. Maybe he should have been pulled aside and told that his relationship with the employee was making the staff uncomfortable and please stop it as it could hurt his children in the future along with his work future.
      Ellen and Shondra need to get off of their Soap Boxes. Karma is a bitch!
      Ellen and Shondra were completely wrong in this situation. The show probably won’t last beyond next year. WHO made them the God’s of the universe?

      1. I totally agree with you..Both Ellen and Shondra should not have made it their business… First some women that are mature enough will know if their husband’s cheat.. there are signs if you are not afraid to look.. If Patrick’s wife didn’t want to open her eyes that was her choice… Not Ellen or Shondra’s… So in my opinion I don’t think I want to continue watching the show or any of Shondra’s shows… I know I’m only one viewer but I hope there are other viewers that would agree with me.. Has the saying goes for women or men that get married “We know what we are getting our self’s into for better or for worse.” Take care of your life and family and but out of someone else life..

      2. I totally agree. Patrick should not have been fired. it had no impact on his performance as an actor. I wouldn’t want it to happen to me but I don’t think it was Ellen’s or Shondra’s place to tell his wife. I also think Shondra has a problem. Someone should sue her. She let’s people go all the time when expressing themselves. No one is perfect. When Isaiah Washington was fired for saying something wrong (racist?) again it was not part of the job. There’s is something called freedom of speech. Sometimes people are caught off guard and miss-speak. it does happen!

        1. epexct queen Shondra to fire or emprionsed who ever leaked this scandal story. she loves drama but only on TV.
          Too bad a good actor had to get fired over silliness, he didn’t rape anyone, so he should have kept his job.

      3. Teacher, hope you know that the chances that your husband/wife is cheating on you is very high.
        If your best knows she might be keeping it from you.
        “The best estimates are that about 3% to 4% of currently married people have a sexual partner besides their spouse in a given year and about 15% to 18% of ever-married people have had a sexual partner other than their spouse while married.”

        This is a far cry from the claims of some sex researchers like Sherry Hite, who has posited that 70% of women who have been married for five years or more are having affairs.

    3. I think if his contract was not up till 2016 then he should be able to stay on the show. It was wrong to take off a main character. Derek and Meredith are a family and now you gave her another child from Derek but then you take him away. well I don’t think I am going to watch season 12. You didn’t even end season 11 with anything to come back to watch.

  2. The way he was killed off, you could tell the writers were angry at something her like Heigl.
    She will make sure he is never on ABC again.

  3. The wife is no Hillary Clinton I see, kicked the cheater out the door, go girl.

    1. Hillary and Bill’s marriage is a business arrangement. It served both their purposes. The only reason Hillary was angry was because he was stupid enough to get caught.

    2. I agree. Good for the wife in divorcing him. I lose respect for any woman whose lets the cheater stay.

  4. Grey’s Anatomy fans are angry Patrick Dempsey left, I am anyway. the ratings have been dropping. The key demo is now 2.2, down from the previous week’s 2.5 in a big way. It was 2.8 the prior week. This is like Washington was dumped or AJ was booted off. Down hill from here, but the creator has so many other shows on TV, she won’t even miss Grey.

  5. I forgave him because we have 8 kids together, wanna what he did.
    He went and slept with the neighbor and they had twins.
    Move on with your life.

  6. A woman who lived to be over a century, asked of her secret? Said, “Mind Your Own Business”. Let Patrick D. lead his own life.

    1. I’d be willing to bet Ellen is not going to drop dead because she did the right thing and told his wife.

  7. Dempsey was booted because he doesn’t have any “black connection” to keep him on the show. Same thing with that blonde girl who left earlier. People seem to not be able to connect the dots.

    1. So if I understand you, the only to stay on the show is to be black.
      The only problem is that most of the cast is white and a black man, a gay man and a crazy white lady have been fired from the show.
      So you see diversity in unemployment.
      Your comment is racist.

      1. Might be racist to you or others but it is just fact. Ellen’s boyfriend/husband is black. Shondra is black. Many of the main characters are black or have a black boyfriend, girlfriend. Just facts.

        1. Oh Jack, give it a break.
          They fired Patrick because he could not keep it in his pants.
          That has to do with stupidity not race.
          Everything is not black or white ….sometimes it has to do with being a pervert and sinner.

          1. dont approve of affairs..interesting to note nobody is mentioning the female staffer who became involved with a man she knew was married..doesnt she have pants she can “keep it in”?

        2. Jim: You are outnumbered. Your remark is ignorant and racist. Also, who cares? There are many shows that don’t even have white people as a large part of the cast. It’s called DIVERSITY!!!!!!

    2. The black dude that left the show long ago was an absolute jerk and that is why he left. No one could stand him.

      1. The reason Isaih Washinton was let go was not because he was black or an absolute jerk, it was because he made a joke about gay people and PD heard him telling it, got in his face about it and told him off. It got out in the media and set up a firestorm. PD was offended and so was gay community so SR had no choice but to let him go. As for Ellen telling the wife, she should have given Patrick the chance to come clean to her first and if he didn’t then let her know. She can be angry all she wants but it’s not her family to destroy. He did that on his own and his wife would have found out eventually. What about the other person in the affair? I hope she got canned as well. It takes two to screw around.

  8. hney honesty is the best policy. why turn the mother into a liar who will stay with a man who prefers younger blondes with big boobs?

  9. Maybe he wanted to be married no more. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? oh wait-a-minute, that’s the Adee do! jingle, darn it!

  10. Patrick Dempsey’s inappropriate actions means that he is real man.
    He can’t commit to one woman, men need to roam free and have as many women who say yes.
    Monogamy is not for us, ask Bill Clinton, Jay Z, Kobe Bryant, all the Kennedys.

  11. RIP Derek, It was sad to see that so many of the characters skipped his funeral, he must have been really hated on the set.
    And now we know why.
    He was hitting that while being married.

    1. The actors don’t determine the story lines. They don’t get to choose if their characters go to the other character’s funeral or not. Unbelievable.

  12. No matter the topic, the weather, sports, fashion or even chest, race comes up. I am happy I am in Greece where people are more accepting of one another. As a school teacher I push the rhetoric as often as I can.

  13. The Legend of McDreamy has just crumbled. He was the perfect man and now this. Why does ABC ruin everything, they cancelled Revenge and killed off Derek, I can’t do this anymore.

    1. I’m with you on Revenge, but they really did everything they could, they were painted in to a corner from the first episode. I was surprised they they could go four years. They did craft a nice finale, though.You can only kill so many, you know?

      So, I guess next season I’ll be down two mandatory shows.

  14. To be honest with everybody on this comment who has replied to Patrick Dempsey’s affair on the set of Grey’s Anotonomy and I strongly believe that they really do look good together as a couple on the show and I really felt a strong chemistry between the two from the very beginning and that they should have been married together in real life. After all he his attractive to her and she is attractive to him.

  15. Does ANYONE know what “alleged” means?

    Somebody said somebody maybe did something.

    People live their own lives, with their own challenges, mistakes, and pain.

    And honies, children ideally need BOTH of their parents to thrive, and the BEST way for that to happen is with their two parents who love and respect each other. Let them work it out, and y’all turn an eye to what you can do to strengthen your own bonds and lives. I know I’ve still got plenty of work to do to work on mine….without messing around thinking I know ANYBODY else’s business!

    And I wish Patrick and his family healing and hope. Whatever factors created a divorce scenario, there will be plenty of challenges and pain. I choose to send them all love…..

  16. Shonda Rhimes “has no patience for that behavior,” yet every one of her scuzzy programs are filled with affairs, both hetero and homosexual. If she could write anything without the crap, they might really be something for her to be proud of. I started watching her new show, How to Get Away with Murder, but after watching countless scenes where men were screwing men and men were screwing women, it became nothing but a sex-fest. I have better things to do with my time than watch that junk.

    1. You are clueless, No income to support them????? what two you think he’s been making all these years…MIllions!!! Better yet think about the consequences of destroying your family over a romp. Ellen and Shonda have morals, something he didn’t.

    2. Couldn’t agree more, I stopped watching for the same reason, and People said “Stalker” was controversial..

    3. Are you homophobic or something? Or live in a cave?
      Yes men have sex with other men, in some states they can married and can adopt kids.It is called living life. Get used to it you stuck up prick.

  17. Ellen Pompeo suffers from two thing: she’s a busybody and a tattletail, and she is under the illusion that she, not Patrick Dempsey’s Derek, is the only reason so many have stayed with this show for so many years. I sincerely hope that tonight’s episode is the END of Grey’s Anatomy. It ran it’s course a couple of years back, so killing off McDreamy is kinda the last straw.

  18. I am guessing Shonda Rhimes “leaked” this story. She has received hate mail and threats since Derik’s death episode. The ratings have dropped and no one plans to watch next year. I think she is trying to make herself look better by letting the story out.
    Oh and I reference to the Katherine Heigle comment….
    Patrick Dempsey has talent KH does not. Nothing she has done since leaving GA has been worthy. If he had an affair that’s between him and his wife- but come on folks he wouldn’t be the first star to do so.

  19. Sounds to me like a double standard. Number one..the allegations are rumors….number two..the writer Shonda thinks it is ok to write a show that starts out with a married man having an affair but when it becomes reality she wants to judge them. Not saying if this is true that makes it ok in real life, but people get into watching these things on shows but don’t except it in life. Besides, it is not worth firing someone over it. Dempsey’s personal life is just that. PERSONAL!!!

  20. It’s Because ABC SUCKS And that’s a Fact JACK!!!!!!!!!!! So How you like that Jimmy My BOY?? and Yes it will Flop!!!!

    1. Yo gots it wrong. It’s ” Dats a fact, Jack!”. Also, it is “Jimmy ME boy”.

  21. His personal life has nothing to do with the show. What they did to the character I really hate, and won’t be watching any more. They needed to consider the fans that have been supporting them for all these years. Now, I am sorry I ever started watching it in the first place, and will definitely NOT be watching ANYTHING by Shonda Rimes!

  22. Dereck was too perfect and Patrick could not compete.
    The man said after getting fired.
    “He is the ideal man and that’s what Shonda constructed. That’s a projection onto me when you come in contact with fans, certainly younger and older fans … It made me grow, too. … It’s one aspect of my nature and hopefully I get opportunities to do other things that allow me to access different sides of a person. …want to try something different. Will I be allowed to do something different? Is Derek so identifiable that I can’t go on and be someone else? That will be the challenge, to see if people embrace me as someone else.”

  23. This is a smear campaign against this good man.
    Nobody has proof that he cheated and where is the girl.
    He co-stars another talking about Patrick’s so called sexcapade.
    They only say nice stuff.
    “Derek was a beloved character on Grey’s Anatomy. We will miss that character,” Kelly McCreary tells E! News. “We’ll miss the love story between him and Meredith. We’re really looking forward to seeing how Meredith grows and changes and transforms and how all the doctors in the hospital react to a core member of their team being lost.”

  24. If Ellen did not insist that Patrick confess to his wife himself about the affair, then that should have been her first move! I don’t believe that we have all the details.

  25. He is very handsome, but seems to be a total douche, make that a total d*ick. He may have ruined the little bit of good that was left in this show.

  26. Ya! I’m glad to see that Shonda Rhimes has some morals! The actors should be setting examples for our kids – and by allowing them to get by with this crap is crap. POS people (like Dempsey, Tiger Woods, Bobby Be-tray)who cheat on their wives should be all shunned from society and made examples of because they are crap! Good for you Shonda! Way to stand up for morals!!!!

  27. This sounds like an episode of Scandal written by Shondra herself.
    “Patrick’s affair with the staffer on the show began last August.”

    “It was obvious to everyone Patrick was [sleeping with] her,” the insider told Radar. “It got very messy and emotional on set and became a huge liability.”

    “Patrick would remain in his trailer after hooking up with her on set and refuse to come out,” the source claimed. “He had also been complaining about the storyline of his character, and felt he wasn’t getting enough screen time.”

  28. Patrick Dempsey inappropriate actions are none of our biz whacks.
    It is between him and his wife and his children NOT THE PUBLIC COURT.
    He is not a Kardashian who is constantly flashing his private life in mags, tabloids, TV and paparazzi.
    Just because we watch someone on a show does not give us the right to dig dirt on their private lives. He is not running for president and if he was an affair would not be enough to disqualify him.
    In France the president cheats and he is still rulling the country as he should.
    Leave the man alone. and go focuse on the chichen in the oven, your kids’ homewort and your spouse needs

  29. So the guy’s an idiot for screwing around on his wife. Shame on him. But to lose his job? Really, it’s a TV show get a life ladies. I have never watched the show but it’s jumped the shark and next season will be it’s last.

  30. There must be some truth to this. That’s the second time, Dempsey is involved in a scandal on this show. He could have saved Washington’s job, but did not lift a finger.

  31. Shondra is letting her personal views cloud her business moves. This can’t be good for her shows. You have to be more open minded when you are handling big money.

  32. This is America, we all cheat and ask for forgiveness and find God and all is well.

  33. ABC execs have no balls, what ever Shondra wants she gets.
    OK, Patrick bang some girl on the set, but he did not breach his contract. he knew his lines, came to work on time and promoted the show.
    Is ABC a church or something?
    Pure crap!!!

  34. The man is selling a 10 Million dollar home has another 100 Million in the bank, both Ellen and his wife would let him hit it for the right amount.

  35. Patrick was sleeping with a married intern who was happy to tell the world what was going on.Shondra was pissed, Ellen didn’t care but she did call his wife.

    RadarOnline.com has learned that the series creator sent a harsh email to cast and crew, warning them to keep quiet about the affair — or be fired!

    According to a show insider, “Shonda was very unhappy to learn Patrick’s affair with a Grey’s Anatomy staff member had been made public. Suspecting it was individuals from the cast and crew, she sent a stern reminder via email that anyone caught leaking information to the press would be fired immediately. The cast and crew all have signed non-disclosure agreements, prohibiting any details from their employment being discussed publicly.”

    “Even though Patrick and Shonda are obviously not on the best terms, she doesn’t want to see his name dragged through the mud,” said the source.

  36. Hebrews 13:4 ESV / 343 helpful votes

    Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
    He is hell bound.

  37. I stopped watching when Washington was so wrongly fired from the show.

  38. it was a big mistake to take him of the show he was awesome, if you fire all the actor and actress that cheated on there spouse we wouldn’t have any tv to watch, I am sure he is not the first or the last to do it, let him live his life, bring him back to the show let everyone be happy.

  39. Seriously? You guys need lives. You all are actually arguing over a made up story by tabloid writers. Too funny!

  40. I’ve been on both sides of the fence. When I was told I was being cheated on by my first husband, I was heartbroken and had mixed emotions, “Am I better off knowing? Am I better off not knowing?” I had also ruined a friendship by telling someone I cared about, that her husband was cheating. She cut me off as a friend after that, he begged her forgiveness and got by with it.

    Bottom Line: Patrick said something to the effect of he and Ellen Pompeo having chemistry from the get-go. It sounds to me as if Ellen was possibly jealous of “the other woman”, since she and Pat had chemistry. Basically a case of “you’re cheating on me too so I’m going to tell.”

  41. Grey’s Anatomy is not the same without Dempsey, Heigl, and Washington. I forgot Oh and Knight, they all made the show really special. No disrespect intended to the new cast, just telling it how I see it.

  42. People should have more respect for someone, who gave them so much good acting in the last 10 yrs.

  43. At least, he can do what he really likes now. Racing seems to be his true passion.

  44. So he cheated on his wife? who cares?
    It’s like he showed up late for work and forgot his lines and beat up a crew member. How many skeletons Ellen and Shondra are hiding?

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